Morning Prayer Thursday, 7 October 2021
A reading from the Book of Job
12 ‘Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,
and their upraised arm is broken.
16 ‘Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.
19 ‘What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
20 Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!
You have lived so many years!
Job 38: 12–21 NIV®
Omnipotent and unknowable God,
we pray that you will forgive us for placing too much confidence
in our own understanding of your creation,
when we think that by our own endeavours we can overcome the difficulties that beset us.
Only by putting our trust and faith in you, and by loving you and others as you love us,
can we follow the path that you have set out for our lives.
Send you Holy Spirit on us today and every day,
so that we may bear the fruits of the Spirit:
love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Heavenly Father, we pray that in our dealings with one another we may exercise these gifts,
especially forbearance, kindness, gentleness and self-control.
May we honour one another, and all your children,
but above all, may we honour you.
You have created us in your image;
may we ever strive to meet your expectations for us.
Even in the current crisis, let us give you thanks and praise for all the wonders of your creation.
We can not show the dawn its place, but we can rejoice in the dawn of each new day;
we still have much to thank you for.
We find it difficult to comprehend the vast expanses of the earth,
even though we have satellites that show us images from space,
and we just cannot comprehend the vastness of the universe,
but we can marvel at the beauty of a starry night.
We thank you for all the beauty and wonders of your creation.
We end our prayers this morning by saying together the words that Jesus taught us:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen
